SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Video] by John Sackton – February 10, 2014 — The Gulf Fishery Management Council's decision to reallocate 500,000 lbs of red snapper from the commerical sector to the recreational side is a shortsighted allocation that should be reviewed by NOAA and overturned for being a poor fishery management decision as per Magunson.
The uncontrolled pressure from the recreational sector will quickly eat through this amount of quota, leading to shorter fishing seasons again in a couple of years. Meanwhile, Gulf tourism is hurt as restaurants lose access to local fish. This is a huge problem that undermines the spirit of Magnson – which was to provide sustainable fish for the American people – not to lock up resources for a few sports fishing businesses.
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